California College Guidance Initiative
Heather Allen's work experience includes various positions in education and college guidance. Heather is currently the Chief Programs Officer at the California College Guidance Initiative, where they lead efforts to support California students in their transition from K-12 to college and career. Prior to this, Heather held several roles at the Fresno Unified School District, including Executive Officer, Instructional Division, Executive Director, College & Career Readiness, and Director of Counseling & Guidance. Heather also has experience as a counselor at Fresno High School and Comprehensive Youth Services' Student Assistance Program.
Heather Allen holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Psychology from Stanford University, which they completed in 2002. Heather also has a Master of Science degree in Counseling from California State University, Fresno. Additionally, Heather has obtained certifications in K-12 Administrative Services and K-12 Pupil Personnel Services, School Counseling from the California Commission on Teacher Credentialing. The specific months and years of obtaining these certifications are not provided.
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California College Guidance Initiative
The California College Guidance Initiative (CCGI) smooths the path to college and career for all California students and unites the efforts of the systems and institutions that serve them. CCGI serves as the core of the college application tools in California's newly-established Cradle-to-Career System. Today, our unique, data-informed tools are available to one-in-five CA 6th-12th grade students - a population larger than the entire K-12 systems of 22 U.S. states. Over the next few years, they'll become available to all California students. Through CaliforniaColleges.edu, the state's official college- and career-planning platform, we provide comprehensive college, career, and financial aid information, along with tools that are informed by students' transcript data. These tools are designed to support counselors and help students identify and realize their college goals. Using a combination of data infrastructure, hands-on support, and online curricula, CCGI works to bring together educational systems and create a better academic and vocational future for California students. We do this by streamlining the college application process for students and families, supporting data accuracy and transparency to make sure data errors are resolved before they have negative impacts on students, and providing educators in both K-12 and higher education with the information and tools they need to make informed decisions around admissions, placement, guidance, support services, and financial aid.